Monday, August 27, 2012

How to Find a Good Editor and Do you even need one?

How to find an editor for your book

As a self-published author, one of your biggest tasks will be finding a good editor for your book. You are going to be trusting what you have written in the hands of someone that does not know you or your work.

This is not only emotionally scary, but is a very a serious investment.

So... how do you find one. Below I will list a few ways:

Editorial Freelancers AssociationThe Editorial Freelancers Association is a well-respected group based in New York. It has been around for years. You can submit a job posting as well as search for an editor in a geographic area or with a particular expertise (developmental, line editing, proofreading).

HivewordThis writers’ resource is courtesy of Jane Friedman (a former publishing exec and a brilliant blogger on the future of publishing). Check out Hiveword results for book editor.

Twitter Author and publishing expert Joanna Penn used Twitter to find her editor, @noveldoctor. Don’t laugh. Twitter can be a great way to make contact with talented folks. It helps if you have a large following yourself as more people will see your Tweet query for a book editor. Try using a hashtag like #editor. Results not guaranteed.

This can also be a rather expensive task. A vast majority of editors charge in one of three ways: by the word, by the line, or by the page.

So how do you find a good editor without breaking the bank? The answer could be as close as your local college or university.

An inexpensive route you could use to find a good editor or proofreader for your work could be to find a retired English teacher, or even a high school English teacher who has enough time to devote to the task of book editing.

English majors and teachers are good because they learn various things about sentence structures, grammar and the like, which could really give your book the advantage it needs to compete in the industry.

If you do decide to go with a company to do the proofreading and editing for your book, be sure to ask to see samples of their work and check out their credibility with others. If they have a long list of unsatisfied customers, this may be a sign that you need to take your money, and your manuscript, elsewhere.

ALSO- I asked some of my FAVORITEIndie authors, and some of them answered me. Jade Varden, Amy Bartol and Tammy Blackwell all said they chose not to hire an editor. Instead they relied soley on their friends, neighbors, relatives, etc. People they could trust and relyon for honest answers and opinions.

I know that many authors choose to just use thier Critique Partnersand/or Beta Readers. And this is something that I am currently doing. I have some amazing women who have graciously offered to lend a hand and give me advice on how to make my book better!

So the real question is... is this enough? Do I HAVE to hire a professional editor?
There are MANY who argue that you MUST, though as I mentioned earlier, some of my favorite indie authors didnt...

SOOO- All that being said, if ANY OF YOU know an INEXPENSIVE editor, let me know PLEASE.

11 comments:

I didn't even think to take it off to an English professor.. that's smart. Teachers don't get paid much, that would be a fun way for them to get some extra pocket money. Does anyone say pocket money anymore? I think I'm too old hat. XD

This post has been successfully bookmarked...in the name of true justice! (In the writing world.)

My plan is to write -- or at least start -- an ebook very soon, so it's info like this that I'd best commit to memory. So, yeah, thanks for this. Truly you are an ally of justice! (In the writing world.)

It is true that editors are not cheap. I speak from experience. But it can be an investment that pays for itself many times over. The trick is to find the right editor. And one must keep in mind that the best comma queen alive may not be able to help you structure your story. The best concept / developmental / content editor may not know the difference between a comma and a semi colon. Everyone has their areas of expertise.

I've spent my life writing, but not necessarily storytelling, so I benefit more from a developmental editor who understands plot, structure, the building blocks of great story, etc. Others may benefit more from editors who excel in grammar.

But few are adept at proofing their own writing so I recommend--at a minimum--a proofreader for anyone whether they intend to self-publish or query. The more eyes that scan a manuscript, the more errors are caught before that manuscript enters the real world. That's one reason why a larger beta reading or critique group is such a benefit.

Yes, I have thought of this... WHICH kind of editor I would need. See... I think I would need a little of both. Though most of the grammatical stuff has taken care of, that doesnt mean I havent missed something or used past instead of passed, etc. ALSO- I think I would benefit quite a lot from a developmental editor, just so that I can make sure my book flows properly. See... I have had my beta readers reading it... and a common issue is that some chapters start to slow down the pace, BUT what is in the chapters needs to be in the book... SO- I need to figure out a way to have it, without slowing the pace down. maybe re-wording it... or putting it somewhere else. Im not sure, but I know an editor could help.

There are great sources you can find online offering great deals and information about book editing services but make sure to deal only with accredited services because of several frauds common online.

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About Me

Theresa M Jones is just a regular small town, Texas girl. When she isn't at work at a local Medical Equipment provider, you can find her at home with her husband and two beautiful (and rambunctious) kiddos.
In her spare time- as if there ever was such a thing as "spare time" - she reads and reviews books on her book blog, and writes paranormal romance novels.
POWER (The Descendent Trilogy #1) is her debut New Adult (Mature YA) Paranormal Romance novel.